The Unique Lf.9'19' of tlie Navesink 'I\vin L191its by Paul Maxwell
T
o a sailor at sea, perhaps nothing can equal rhevalueofthe sight of a lighthouse. As mariners make rhe western approach to NewYorkharbor,an almost Gothic, medieval-type structure rises from the bluffs of the Highlands of Navesink, New Jersey. The somewhat ominous lighthouse consists of nor one, bur two lighted rowers. Once dual beacons oflighr broadcast our to sea, like the jeweled eyes of a giant car staring out over the waters, administering an occasional blink from one of irs optics. The Twin Lights Lighthouse has pa-
tienrly observed a rich bounty of our history at sea, which has sailed before her two luminous eyes, en route to one of rhe world's busiest ports. She has witnessed events from a unique vantage point and shared as well in the making of her own maritime history. The Twin Lights sit 226 feet above sea level, atop the highest bluff along the New Jersey Highlands. From early in the American story, rhe bluffs along the Highlands provided the colonists with a perfect location for an advanced warning system. As early as 17 46, watchmen were to light fires to signal the approach of potentially unfriendly convoys. A navigational aid was built in 1828; it consisted of two separate octagonal light rowers built ofblue split stone and stood in
service upon the bluff until 1860. By the late 18 50s, deterioration had beset the wood frame building and keeper's house, as well as the cowers themselves. Plans were made co build an entirely new station-the present lights , completed at a cost of $74,000. Construction began in 1860 on the uniquely designed lighthouse rhar stands today; it was completed in 1862. This brownstone light with its decorative stonework measures 350 feet in length from cower to tower. Its architectural design appears to be a combination of styles. Its overall appearance is reminiscent of a castle or, from a distance, a cathedral of the Middle Ages, combined with contemporary Victorian style. From a distance iris easy to see why the towers are coined the Twin Lights, but closer inspection shows
"Twin Lights ofNavesink, New j ersey, ca 1892" by Stephen Harrington, copyright 2000. (See ad for Coastal Guardians, p41)
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SEA HISTORY 94, AUTUMN 2000